To Gain the World
by RoseofSharon7
Summary: Some things should never be sold, at any price.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hello All! First off, no, this is not the promised sequel to Consequences. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting so long, but I'm still having writer's block there. I haven't given up on it, but it isn't ready to start posting. I really do appreciate your patience there. And even though my creative juices seemed to have stopped flowing with that story, they seem to be flowing quite well with this one. Hopefully it'll be enough to give you a few moments of reading pleasure. I do have to warn you that this fic is a little darker than my previous one, but it's in line with the current Halloween season, so I'm sure it won't be too out of place. But anyway, I'll quit babbling and let you get to the actual story. Enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Darkwing Duck or any associated characters. All are used without permission for non-profit purposes.

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_"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

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**Chapter One**

_At last! Complete, unadulterated power!_ Negaduck stared possessively out over the city, _his_ city, the capital of his newly acquired domain, and reveled in the sight. How hard he'd worked for this, how long he'd waited! And now, it was finally his! His eyes roved over the view, hungrily drinking it all in, before settling his gaze on a large building just barely visible in the settling dusk.

A terrible smile spread across his face as the events surrounding that building replayed themselves in his mind. It had needed quite a bit of expanding in light of his recent financial acquisitions, and the old geezer who'd owned it before had been less than willing to part with it and its contents. The smile widened. He'd taken quite a bit of pleasure in persuading that antique of a miser to change his mind.

The building needed to be moved closer though, to where he could keep a better eye on it, and where he could feast his eyes on its contents each morning. Besides, it was a symbol of his newly acquired control, and should stand next to his headquarters as a symbol of his power.

He now only had one thing left that he needed to do, and he relished the thought of finishing that little task. When that was done, he would have unchallenged authority to do whatever he wanted, when he wanted!

_But then what?_ the thought suddenly sprang unbidden into his mind, causing his smile to drop into a frown. _You already had complete control in the Negaverse, but that wasn't enough; you had to cross over to this world and conquer it. Where will you go when you grow bored here?_

Negaduck angrily shoved the unwanted thought from his mind. He didn't want to waste his time on introspection when he should be savoring the sweet taste of tyranny. Besides, he still had that one task to finish.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

The smile reappeared on his face. _Speak of the devil…_

"I am the activist who single-handedly overthrows your empire!"

Negaduck turned away from the window and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the mallard to finish his overly dramatic entrance. The idiot always did have a penchant for overdoing things.

"I am Darkwing Duck!" the masked hero exclaimed, flourishing his cape amid a rapidly dissipating blue cloud. He whipped out his gas gun and pointed it at the villain. "Your reign of terror is over Negaduck! I'm going to send you back to where you came from!"

Negaduck snorted at the mallard's overconfidence. "It's about time you showed up," he said, lazily taking a few steps closer to his arch nemesis. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost what little nerve you had."

He watched with some satisfaction as Darkwing ground his teeth in irritation. The knob had also always been ridiculously easy to get a reaction out of. "I'm not here to play your games, Negaduck" the hero said, his anger only thinly masked.

"Oh, but you're going to have to," Negaduck replied coolly. "Do you see where you're standing?"

Darkwing looked down, and saw with some shock the metal plate he was on top of. Negaduck had known that the hero wouldn't have been able to resist the picturesque drama of being silhouetted by the rapidly setting sun, and there was only one location in the penthouse that would have accommodated both that and his trademark entrance. And Darkwing would of course, be totally oblivious to the fact that he was literally stepping into a trap. The villain smiled. He knew his nemesis better than the handle of his chainsaw.

"The plate you're standing on is pressure sensitive," Negaduck explained, quite enjoying the alarmed expression growing on Darkwing's face as he lowered his gas gun, "and it's wired to a bomb set just beneath the floor there. Your weight has activated the bomb, and any change in the weight on that plate will set it off."

Darkwing visibly paled, only increasing the villain's pleasure. "You can't be serious!" the masked mallard squeaked, even as he took pains to remain as still as possible. "If that bomb goes off, it'll take you with it too!"

"It would, _if_ I intended to stay here," Negaduck smirked, calmly approaching his helpless prey. "But I've decided that Canard tower could use some, shall we say, remodeling. And aren't you the lucky one!" Negaduck said, clasping his hands together in mock excitement. "While I temporarily relocate to City Hall, you get to be the one to start the process off!"

Negaduck could see a thin film of perspiration appearing on Darkwing's face as the hero realized he was in earnest. "Oh and don't worry," Negaduck continued, looking his nemesis in the face with another smile. "I've had a few cameras put in that'll be sending me a live feed. I wouldn't miss your final moments for the world."

Darkwing was trying to put on a bold face now. "You won't get away with this, Negaduck!" he growled. "I'm not alone you know! You'll never get past the elevator!"

"Oh, you mean your sidekick and that brat that follow you around?" Negaduck asked, nonchalantly glancing at his watch. He loved making Darkwing squirm. "I've been watching them through the security feed ever since they entered the building." He reached into his cape and pulled out a shotgun, then gave his opponent a vicious smile. "They should be coming through the stairway door any second now, right?"

Darkwing physically blanched. "You wouldn't!" he gasped.

Negaduck chuckled. "I would."

Suddenly, a door burst open across the floor, and Negaduck turned to see Darkwing's burly pilot framed in the doorway leading to the stairs. He raised the barrel of his shotgun and lined up the sights.

"Launchpad, look out!" Darkwing cried out behind him. Instead of diving out of the way though, the pilot froze, his expression comically similar to a deer caught in the headlights. Negaduck wanted to laugh with sheer delight at his easy victory as he squeezed the trigger, but suddenly he was struck heavily from behind, knocking him forward and sending the shot wide. He was just able to register the purple sleeves gripping him around the middle before his world erupted into a hot, blazing inferno. There was intense, burning pain, a sensation of something tugging at him, then nothing.

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The first thing that hit Negaduck when he came to himself was the overwhelming darkness. Never in his life had he ever been anywhere so dark. It seemed to smother him, weighing down on him like a suppressive blanket. He had to physically reach up and touch his face to make sure his eyes were open and that he wasn't staring at the underside of his eyelids. As he did so though, he felt a wave of fear wash over him. Instead of feeling the silky fabric of his mask, his fingers met with the soft feathers that covered his face. _His mask was gone!_

With that realization came the panic of feeling exposed. Without the mask, people could see his face! He hadn't allowed anyone to see him without his mask for as long as he could remember! He wanted to bury his face in his hands or cover it with his cape, anything to replace the protection his mask had given him. But as the initial bout of panic subsided, Negaduck realized that there was no one around to see. Besides the overwhelming blackness, a crushing silence also hung in the thick air, a silence so strong that it negated even the possibility of someone else being there.

Despite that, the little known sensation of fear churning his stomach was making him nervous. He hated being helpless, and he hated the fear that that feeling brought. He needed to get out of here! The mallard reached his arms out, trying to find something, anything, that would give him a clue to where he was. His hands though met with nothing but empty air. Now that he thought about it, Negaduck realized that he really couldn't even feel the ground he was supposed to be sitting on. He could feel absolutely nothing. A little alarmed, the mallard tried to see if he could smell or even taste anything in the air, but even those attempts were met with nothing. Negaduck felt the urge to scream rise up strongly in him. There was absolutely nothing for his senses to latch onto, and it was beginning to drive him mad!

Desperately, Negaduck sought to distract himself by figuring out how'd got there, trying to replay the events leading up to his loss of consciousness, but he now found it was difficult to even think straight. Had he hit his head when Darkwing had tackled him? His thoughts were disjointed and fragmented, he couldn't focus on his train of thought for more than two minutes at a time. _What the heck was wrong with him?_

Just as Negaduck thought he would go insane with fear and frustration, he felt a wave of frigidly cold air wash over him, causing goosebumps to raise on his skin, and an eerie sort of deadness saturated the area. Until now, his world had been devoid of any physical sensation, and while he was relieved to at last be _feeling_ something, he did so with a great sense of trepidation. There was something terribly wrong about this. As if cued by his thought, he felt a presence appear, something darker and more evil than he'd known to be possible. A shadow became visible against the blackness, a wispy shadow faintly backlit by a dull crimson light. It glared at him with smoldering red eyes that seemed to burn through his soul, paralyzing him in its predatory gaze.

After a moment though, Negaduck managed to find his voice, and in a tone much more unsteady than he would have liked, asked, "Who are you?"

It was a moment or two before the shadow answered, but at last, in a cold and hate-filled whisper that chilled Negaduck to the bone, it replied, "I am Death."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note:__ Thank you all for your encouraging reviews! And thanks Scyphi for the correction on Canard Tower. I always like to keep my writing as close to the canon as possible, so everyone feel fr_ee _to point out any other mistakes you might notice!_

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, St. Canard, or any other characters or settings found in the cartoon series "Darkwing Duck". All are property of Disney and used without permission for non-profit, entertainment purposes. The story line found in "To Gain the World" is my own work.

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**Chapter Two**

The spirit's word hit him like a ton of bricks. _Death? As in the Grim Reaper, Death? So he, Negaduck, was…dead?_

Something vaguely resembling a chuckle emanated from the direction of the shadow as the spirit apparently took great pleasure in his shock. "Yes, Drake. You are dead."

Negaduck started at the use of his birth name, but his surprise quickly melted into anger at the cheap shot. He hadn't heard that name attached to himself since his early childhood, having abandoned it long ago with his pathetic home and family. It was nothing to him. Now he didn't know what the demon was trying to do by using his old name, but he was sick and tired of his lack of control, and it was time that _Negaduck_ reasserted himself.

"So what's the big idea pulling me down here?" he asked, folding his arms in a show of irritation. A smug smile appeared on his face. "Was I stealing too much of ole Beelzebub's thunder?"

The hard stare that Negaduck received from the demon showed that it could see clearly through his attempt to taunt it. However, after a moment, he received an answer. "Do you remember what you said after that particularly humiliating defeat by your double in the dog food scheme?"

Negaduck bristled at the spirit's choice of words, but was still compelled to think back to the event. He needed to fully understand his situation if he was going to do anything about it, and to be honest, which he rarely was, he was rather pleased that he could piece two thoughts together now.

The dog food scheme had been simple: taint the food with mind-controlling nanites and use "man's best friend" as a sort of brute squad to control the populace. (Terrorizing a populace into obedience was so much more enjoyable than having zombie-like slaves who could care less if you beat them over the head with a nuclear missile.) Everything had been going exactly according to plan, and he was about to get the tainted food into distribution when his do-gooder double showed up. In the fight that had ensued, Negaduck had managed to do a face plant in the food and some of the nanites had gotten into his system, something Darkwing had taken great enjoyment in exploiting. Negaduck shuddered as the images of what Darkwing had made him do flashed through his mind, and hastily shoved aside the memories of acting like a cute fuzzy bunny and giving lollipops to babies. Only one of Darkwing's klutzy moments had saved him from a fate worse than death when the vigilante dropped the nanites' controller. Negaduck vaguely recalled something of a promise he'd made in a fit of anger as he'd made his escape afterwards, a single sentence amidst a stream of curses and promises about what he'd do to Darkwing the next time they crossed paths.

"Yeah," he said, failing to remember exactly what he'd said, "it was something about what I'd do to eliminate Darkwing Dork and take over his world." He snorted disdainfully. "What of it?"

"You made a deal that night, a deal that you would give your soul to my master if he would let you kill Darkwing and take over his world." Negaduck could hear a smile in the spirit's voice. "You've been granted your wish, and now, my master wants to collect."

Negaduck wasn't sure what to say in response to that. He remembered saying something to that effect now, and though it was made in the heat of the moment, he had meant every word of it. And he'd gotten his wish. He had just finished conquering Darkwing's entire world, and had taken Darkwing to the grave with him. Negaduck wanted to throttle something in his irritation though. He would have hoped that he would have had time to actually _enjoy _his successes before having the debt recalled, but no, the devil just let him have a taste of those pleasures he'd so earnestly worked for before yanking him away. But so help him, he _was_ going to enjoy them, once he found a loophole in this deal. He just needed to buy a little time to find something to exploit.

"So, this is the great and fearsome Hell?" Negaduck asked, allowing a hint of taunting to creep into his voice. He knew the demon might find his sudden change in subject odd, but hopefully it would attribute it to him being unwilling to concede an argument. Besides, the best way to distract a person was to attack their position of power. Negaduck made a show of looking around, even though he saw nothing but the demon's shadowy form. "Hmph," he continued, "I don't see what the big deal is. Only someone who needs a nightlight would be scared of this place."

The crimson eyes seemed to bore into Negaduck as he finished his cocky speech, and the mallard could tell that the demon was not fooled by his façade. "Perhaps, Drake, you just require a taste of what we have in store for you," the low voice replied in almost a pleasant tone.

Negaduck was getting irritated at the constant use of his old name, and was about to demand that the spirit catch up on current events when suddenly a burning sensation overwhelmed him, completely eradicating any thoughts of snub replies. Invisible fire radiated up his limbs and tore through his chest with an intensity that threatened to make him black out, but unconsciousness unmercifully refused to come even as he experienced an agony unlike any he'd ever imagined. The image of the demon faded in the haze that dropped over his senses, his world now entirely consisting of the torturous pain that wracked his body. Thousands of fiery, needle-like teeth tore at his skin, adding to the raging inferno inside him, and a scream tore itself from his lips as every muscle in his body cramped so tightly that he was afraid they would snap. He doubled over as his muscles finally seized up and he dropped to the ground, curling into a fetal position in a futile effort to relieve his torment. And throughout it all, his mind remained horribly clear, and he could realize with perfect clarity that this was indeed, much more than he had ever imagined hell to be.

Then just as suddenly as it began, the pain vanished, leaving Negaduck gasping on the ground and trying to catch his breath. "Perhaps you would like to revise your previous statement," the demon said, his voice dripping with contempt.

After a moment, Negaduck dragged himself back up to his feet, a rage growing inside him toward the spirit who was able to reduce him to a whimpering idiot without so much as breaking a sweat, and who seemed so smug at the fact that he was able to do it. Never in his life had Negaduck ever been so much at the mercy of another; all his power, wealth and dignity had been completely stripped away from him. No matter what that demon did though, there was one thing he couldn't take away from him, and he was going to rub that one thing in the spirit's arrogant face and milk it for all it was worth. "At least," he gasped out, trying to fix the demon with his most formidable glare, "I have the pleasure of knowing I dragged Darkwing here with me."

The demon actually smiled at that statement. "Did you?"

Something about the spirit's demeanor was setting off warning bells in Negaduck's head, but he had no time to reflect on this. A portion of the blackness off to Negaduck's left suddenly melted away, and the image of a distant place, separated from where they were by a gigantic chasm, appeared in its absence, almost like a television. The image defied description. To say it was beyond anyone's wildest dreams would have been a gross understatement, and to describe it as a place of light and beauty would have been like saying the universe was big. Negaduck could practically feel the peace and joy rolling off the image in such huge billows that he should have been nauseated, but instead, for some reason he was strangely drawn to it, as if it touched some part of him he'd thought long dead. There was a great table visible, piled high with the most delectable foods and set with many place settings. And to Negaduck's shock and great anger, at one of those settings, looking completely relaxed and happy despite the fact that his face was also bare of its customary mask, sat his arch nemesis, Darkwing Duck.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Negaduck exploded, watching as his double talked animatedly with a person sitting next to him. He turned to his host. "That arrogant, egotistical, self-absorbed knob gets to go to Heaven?" he exclaimed, gesturing in anger towards the image. "The dolt was as far from angelic as I am from a cute fuzzy bunny!"

"His deal gave him a different result than yours did," the demon replied calmly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Negaduck was ready to go on a murderous rampage. Negaduck however, was not oblivious to the fact that the spirit's voice was laced with what seemed to be a subtle hint of regret.

Despite that, Negaduck's anger forced the observation aside as he continued on. "What deal was that?" Negaduck demanded hotly. "Did he have to screw up a certain number of my plans and then he could get to heaven? Or was it that he had to be a good guy and wear a stupid purple cape while spouting off lines of self-righteous superiority? What deal could _possibly_ get that buffoon into Heaven?"

The demon didn't answer immediately, something that irritated Negaduck to no end, but something that also allowed his anger to cool slightly. The beginnings of an idea were collect in his mind; he wasn't going to spend an eternity here no matter what he had to do, but he had to know more to get this to work, and to do that, he needed to keep a reign in on his temper. "It was a deal that he had to do certain things for," the demon answered, seeming to choose its words carefully. If Negaduck didn't know better, he'd have thought the demon was nervous about the subject. "He made a contract, just like you did, but his was with someone else, and it entailed much different stipulations."

Once again, Negaduck noticed a twinge of regret in the spirit's voice. And he believed he knew now how to best use it to his advantage. "You know, I could get him here," he offered carefully.

The spirit's eyes seem to grow more piercing. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're Death, right? So that means you have the power over a person living or dying, right?"

"Yes…" the demon answered, its voice wary.

"So if you undid my death and sent me back, I bet you I could get Darkwing to blow the terms of his contract and join you here in this little playground of yours. My only condition is that if I do succeed, my own contract would be cancelled." He watched as the demon seemed to consider his words, and added for good measure, "That doesn't necessarily mean, of course, that you would lose me as a guest. You know me; I probably would disqualify myself for heaven within the first five minutes, so you would end up with us both."

The spirit was silent a moment longer, its smoldering eyes darkening in color as it thought, before finally giving its answer. "Alright Drake, I will let you try. I'll send you back, and you can do whatever you want to try and make your double turn, and if you do, we will consider the promise you made that night invalidated. You have forty-eight hours."

No sooner had the demon finished speaking than Negaduck's surroundings vanished and he suddenly found himself standing outside a run-down cannery. The villain was slightly disoriented by the rapid change of scenery, but a quick glance around was enough to tell him that he was in Darkwing' St. Canard, and the cannery was in fact the same one in which his dog food scheme had gone so terribly wrong. The demon must have taken him back to the very night he had made that promise, a conclusion supported by the bits of dog food that now clung to his costume. As he considered the pitiful state of his jacket and cape, a sudden thought sent his hand flying up to his face, where his fingers confirmed to his great relief the presence of his mask. He smiled. All was as it should be.

Now all he had to do was either turn Darkwing into a villain or just make him screw up so badly he'd _have _to go to hell, a task that Negaduck was looking forward to with great anticipation. At the same time though, he needed to somehow ingratiate himself with the man upstairs so that _he_ wouldn't be going back to hell, and seeing as that one went more against his grain and he had so many years of villainy to make up for, that job was going to be a bit more work. And he had only two days in which to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Darkwing Duck/Drake Mallard, Negaduck, Gosalyn, or any other characters or settings found in the cartoon series "Darkwing Duck". All are property of Disney and are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes only. The story line and the ferret clerk in "To Gain the World" are my own works.**  


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**Chapter Three**

A half hour later found Negaduck setting out from one of his numerous quick-stop hideouts, having replaced his canine crunchy encrusted costume with something a bit more befitting a criminal of his stature. And while those thirty minutes had helped him feel more like himself, it had also been pretty unproductive to his planning processes. The memories of his encounter with Death were still fresh in his mind, causing no small disturbance to his usually calculating mind, but even without that, he was faced with a dilemma that would vex him even under normal circumstances.

How was he going to bring Darkwing down without incriminating himself even further? As much as he'd love to personally drive his nemesis down into the dust, he already had a lifetime of crime to make up for, and he didn't want to add to that any more than necessary. But how was he supposed to avoid doing that? There was no way he could entrust so important a task to one of his bumbling subordinates; something like this had to be handled delicately, and he wasn't about to go asking some other super villain for help. He couldn't even specifically assign things for the Fearsome Five to do and then sit back and watch, because that put him in the role of mastermind. So that left no one but him to do this, which he'd already decided was a bad idea.

After a few more minutes of this, both Negaduck's hands and jaw were beginning to hurt from clenching them too tightly. He was thinking in circles. Normally at moments like this, he would go and blow up a bank or tear apart a convalescent center, and then would be able to come back to his problem with a fresh mind. Denied this though, he was feeling the irritation build up inside him, and had no outlet in which to let it out. Sheesh, how did normal people stay _sane_ without the occasional rampage?

After a few more unsuccessful minutes trying to plan, he was about ready to explode into a violent stream of curses accompanied by a fist through a nearby wall. The wall and the bones in his hand were spared this fate though when he caught sight of an old gymnasium opposite the alley. Suddenly inspired as to how to let off some steam, he strode purposefully through the front door and approached the ferret behind the desk.

"C-c-can I help you, sir?" the ferret stammered, sending a small rush of satisfaction through Negaduck. Apparently his reputation preceded him, as well it should.

"How much?" the mallard asked, enjoying the layer of sweat his words caused. Hey, could he help liking it if a simple question frightened the wimp?

"M-membership is seventy-nine dol-"

"I'm not talking about membership!" Negaduck snapped, fighting to keep his tone civil as the irritation rose in him again. (Honestly, did he _look_ like he would want a membership at this crummy place?) "I'm talking about the whole building!"

The ferret paled. "W-w-well, you see, I'm not at liberty to—" His words stuck in his throat as Negaduck pulled out a wad of hundreds from his jacket.

"Will this be enough?" Negaduck asked darkly, waving the wad in the ferret's face and barely containing the anger that begged to be released on the simpleton. It had been a long time since he'd made a ferret pretzel…

The frightened expression turned to one of awe as he saw the amount of cash. "Y-yes, that'll be—"

Negaduck threw the wad at him, disgusted at actually having to _pay _for something, then demanded the deed as the bills fell like green confetti behind the counter. The ferret quickly complied, then went to gathering the scattered hundreds as Negaduck grabbed up the microphone to the intercom system. "Attention all airheads," he announced, twirling the cord with his finger as he took up a more nonchalant stance, "this building is now under the management of Negaduck. You have two minutes to vacate the building. Any further time spent here will be at your own risk."

It was really too bad that he had to warn the health freaks, but the satisfaction of watching the sweaty crowd rush from the building did a little to ease his frustration. It was still with great anticipation though that he turned to the now empty building, his chainsaw in hand. It wasn't a crime if he destroyed something that was already his, and while it wouldn't be quite the same, Negaduck relished the thought of tearing the place apart. Besides, the place was an eyesore; he was doing the city a _favor_ by demolishing it. And he had to admit as he walked away from the pile of rubble twenty minutes later, he did feel a lot better, and, more importantly, he now had an idea.

Watching the walls topple inside the gymnasium had inspired him. He didn't have to force his double into anything, and he didn't have to make anyone do any dirty work. He just had to lay out the dominoes, and have someone knock over the first one. After all, the one who set them up was not responsible for the mess if someone else knocked them down. Well, not really anyway. It was as good as he was going to get though in the time span he had to work with. The two questions left though, were how he should lay out his string of dominoes, and what domino would be heavy enough to knock Darkwing down?

He had an idea on the second question, and was now quickly making his way across the city to a place where he'd be able to solidify it, but the first question was going to be a bit trickier. What was happening at this time that he could use in this little scheme?

The dog food plan had been his major project at the time, but he was never one to put all his eggs in one basket. If he remembered correctly, he'd also been working on the preliminaries of blowing up the headquarters of a shipping company that had refused to work with him, he was managing a few minor transactions on the black market involving three tons of nuclear waste, and he'd been in the process of hacking into St. Canard's First National Bank. There were definitely things there he could use there (nuclear waste was so entertaining when ingested by some hapless innocent), but until he had a better idea on what he was going to use as a final domino, they were just potential tools.

But what had his minions been up to? While they were even more pathetic in their own schemes than when they worked for him, Negaduck liked to keep tabs on them so that he'd be aware if anything happened that might affect his own plans. He remembered that Quackerjack had just gotten himself arrested for another of his pitiful attempts on Whiffle Boy, Megavolt was sulking after some failed attempt with appliances coming to life, the Liquidator had been working at worming his way into some of his competitors' businesses, and he couldn't remember anything about Bushbreath, so the spineless weed must have just been laying low in his green house. Again, so many pieces to work with, he just didn't have places to put them yet…but that brought him to the yellow house across the street.

Pleased to have finally having reached his destination, Negaduck quickly crossed over and snuck into the side yard, taking up position between two bushes under the kitchen window. He'd never before taken advantage of his knowledge about this place, at least not in any major way, and was still a little uncertain about using it now. His Launchpad had asked him about it once, why he avoided using such a valuable and powerful card, and then never dared to ask again as Negaduck's shot gun essentially told him to mind his own business. The truth was though, Negaduck was worried that going after Darkwing's personal life would somehow disrupt the balance between this universe and the Negaverse, seeing as Darkwing seemed to be such a key figure, and Negaduck was not so foolish as to go around messing with the universal balance*. Now though, the future of Negaduck's soul was on the line, and no potential universal imbalance was going to stand in the way of its safety. Besides, he wasn't actually going to do anything right now. Right now, he was just here to observe.

Carefully peering up over the windowsill, Negaduck looked into the house. Inside the room was a single figure: the short, red-headed shape of Gosalyn Mallard. She sat at the kitchen table, textbooks and papers scattered all over the surface, and while it was obvious that she was supposed to be studying, the girl was leaning back in her seat, her arm draped over the back of the chair, and an expression of utter boredom on her face. Negaduck watched with interest as her eyes roved over the kitchen, seeking something to engage her wearied attentions, before they settled on a large chocolate cake sitting on the counter. Casting a furtive glance at the doorway, Gosalyn slid out of her chair, and began to stealthily make her way over to the pastry.

She had just cut for herself a large slice (if nearly a quarter of the cake qualified as a slice), and was beginning to greedily gulp it down when a familiar voice called from another part of the house, causing Gosalyn to start and Negaduck to hunch further down in the bushes. "Gosalyn! What time is your hockey game tomorrow?" It was so weird hearing his double speak an entire sentence without any form of self-conceit. Negaduck half-wondered if the mallard was feeling alright.

The duckling swallowed the mass of chocolate in her mouth before answering, "Six thirty!"

"Could you take the bus in with the other kids this time?"

"Dad, it's only against Southside! The buses don't bother when it's only the other side of town!"

There was a pause, and Negaduck could picture his double blowing a frustrated sigh through his teeth. "Well, if I gave you some money, do you think you could take a city bus? I have an important meeting at SHUSH that I can't miss, and the Muddlefoots are out of town tomorrow!"

"Yeah, sure," Gosalyn replied, shoving another bite of cake into her mouth.

"Oh, and Gosalyn," the voice added, its increasing volume indicating its nearing presence, "stay out of that chocolate cake. I'm having Morgana over later and besides, you'll spoil your dinner!"

The duckling's eyes widened at those words and the approaching footsteps, and she quickly stuffed the remainder of the piece into her mouth before darting from the room, not willing to risk being found in the presence of the violated pastry.

Negaduck turned away from the window, an amused smile on his beak. Dipwing was about as effective with managing his daughter as he was the criminal element. But the important thing was that Negaduck had what he needed now. He had the domino to knock Darkwing down, and he knew how to line up his dominos in order to get them to fall where he wanted.

As he walked away from the house, an angry voice announced the discovery of the mutilated cake. "GOSALYYNNN!" the bigmouth could be heard three blocks away. Negaduck smiled. By this time tomorrow, his nemesis would be screaming that name in a much different tone of voice.

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**Author's Note: Sorry I took so long to update. I was finally motivated to get this chapter done by a visit from a rather irate Negaduck, as he was getting rather anxious to bring his nemesis down and avoid another trip to hell (he can be quite persuasive, even with only a stick of gum and a balloon). Anyway, thanks for being patient! Only two chapters to go!  
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***This concept of the Negaverse and Normalverse being in a balance and Darkwing being so central to that balance is a part of my theory of the Negaverse, and is not necessarily canon. As this story really doesn't use this balance I'm not going to go into it here, but if you're interested, I'm exploring it in my other stories, beginning in Consequences (which is complete), and continuing in My Daughter's Eyes.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Hey all! I wanted to offer a quick apology for that last chapter. It was a disappointment even to me in that it lacked the strength that the other two chapters had. I'm probably going to go back and rewrite it eventually, but I'm going to get this finished out first. I assure you though, that this chapter is much more in keeping with the original tone I set in this tale, and hopefully just as enjoyable. One thing to note though before I continue, is that I changed Drake's request that Gos take a cab to her taking the city bus. It makes more sense (especially with his cheap spending habits) and it's easier to work with for my own purposes. Everything else is still the same. But anyway, on with the show!_

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_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Gosalyn, Megavolt, the Fearsome Five, or any other characters or settings found in the cartoon series "Darkwing Duck". All are used without permission for non-profit, entertainment purposes only. The story line for "To Gain the World" is my own work._  
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**Chapter Four**

Negaduck stepped into the dank outbuilding that was his hideout, his hat in his hand and his webbed feet dragging. The setting of the sun had marked the end of his twenty-fourth hour, his twenty-fourth hour of the time given him, and his twenty-fourth hour being awake. Though being awake for days at a time was nothing new to him, being good for that long was, and the continual fights with the temptations that arose was exhausting. He'd had opportunity to steal more than two hundred thousand dollars worth of hi-tech equipment, reduce the capitol building to a pile of rubble, _and_ take over a minor country, on top of the usual kicking cats and shoving old ladies into traffic, and he'd had to walk away from _all_ of it. Not even trying to hide a thermonuclear warhead on his person was as hard as all this. Then there was the continual frustration and anger that kept building up from his newfound limitations (there were only so many gyms that were willing to sell out), and combating that on_ top_ of his temptations… Man, if his eternal soul wasn't on the line he'd have blown up the city a long time ago, just to relieve some stress.

At least he'd made some progress though. An anonymous tip to the St. Canard times, a new subscription down by the docks, a visit to the bus station, and an assignment for a sulky Megavolt had laid out most of his dominoes for the next night, though he still wanted to keep an eye on things to make sure all went as planned. He really hated having things happen at the last minute, but unfortunately, the time tables were not in his hands. He should have just barely enough time for everything to get done.

The mallard slumped into an old recliner, gently massaging his forehead. He knew that right now, he should probably be working on racking up the good deeds to help cover over some of his previous transgressions, but the villain knew that in his current state, if he encountered any more stain on his sorely tried nerves, he would do something that would send him right back to Hell. Besides, he had something good in mind that ought to go a long ways in clearing some of his past record, and a few hours wasn't going to hurt anything. He could get to the nice stuff after he had a chance to recover and get some shut-eye.

Decided, the duck kicked further back in the chair, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and drifted off.

* * *

_It was back…that darkness that exceeded even the blackness in his soul. And there was that fear rising up again in the pit of his stomach, tying his gut up in knots and causing the bile to rise in the back of his throat. He despised this weakness, this utter helplessness, but as a cold wave of a tangible evil washed over him, causing goose bumps to rise under his feathers, his fear grew in strength and that feeling was smothered. It was as if all the horrors of his darkest nightmares were lurking in that blackness, their presence bringing forth all the fears and anxieties he'd long since locked away, and that now refused to stay silent. _

_But then something materialized out of the darkness that he didn't expect. The shadows seemed to shrink back as it approached him, as did Negaduck's own fears and nightmares, all of them evaporating in the surprise and relief he felt at seeing the figure before him. As much as he sometimes disliked the organization, SHUSH's Director J. Gander Hooter of the Negaverse was an owl after Negaduck's own heart, and was sometimes very useful, often providing him with new weaponry and gadgets to make his work more interesting. The old coot must have something hot out of the labs to give him._

"_Lord Negaduck," Hooter greeted, bowing slightly at the waist. "A pleasure to see you again sir."_

"_Yeah, yeah, whatcha got, J. Gander?" Negaduck asked impatiently. He liked people honoring his position, but not at the cost of his business. He knew he needed what the owl had to give him, and for some reason, he felt that time was pressing._

"_Well sir, I'm afraid that this one is going to cost."_

_Negaduck scowled, but said, "Ok, fine. I'll give you ten thousand."_

_The owl shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's not going to be enough."_

"_A hundred thousand then." _

_Another shake of the grayed head. "No sir."_

"_A million?" _

_The owl shook his head again. "No."_

"_A hundred million." Though he fought to keep it from his voice, Negaduck could feel a desperation beginning to rise up in him. The clock was ticking, and he urgently needed this thing. But how much was it going to cost him? _

"_I'm sorry sir, but-"_

_Negaduck's anxieties reached their threshold. "Look I'll give you St. Canard if you want! Just give it to me!"_

_The owl sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Lord Negaduck, I'm afraid that not even the entire Negaverse is enough to pay for this."_

"_Then what?" Negaduck cried, his now frantic desperation evident in his tone. "What can I give you in exchange for it?"_

_Hooter's gaze was piercing. "That's the question, now isn't it? What could you possibly give that would be enough? But Negaduck, your time is running out."_

Negaduck started awake, the desperation still strong and those last words still ringing in his ears. The dream danced vividly in his memory. It had seemed so real, so lifelike, and remained so strongly in his mind. But why? Why was this dream unsettling him so?

_Your time is running out._ The words had seemed more like a friendly warning then a smug threat. Hooter had appeared, and the darkness had retreated. Why? The mallard felt like he was missing something huge, something that was staring him right in the face, and something that was of vital importance.

A clatter outside the building startled him, making Negaduck jump and yanking him from his thoughts. He sat still for a moment, listening carefully for signs of an intruder, but relaxed slightly as he heard the slight scratching of a stray in the alley. The mallard though was still not at ease. The room was now dark in the absence of the twilight, his equipment and weapons standing as shadows among shadows. The darkness was complete enough that it was uncomfortably reminiscent of his encounter with Death; for a moment, Negaduck even thought he could see those burning crimson eyes.

Negaduck kicked himself. What was he doing? Cowering in the darkness like a scared little girl and pondering some weird dream, the product of an overworked mind? Man, he must be tired! He couldn't remember the last time he'd let himself slip that much. Introspection was for philosophers, and cowering for cops and wannabe heroes. _Action_ was for ducks of power.

Feeling his focus slide once more where it ought to be, the mallard rose from the recliner, and flipping on a light, made his way over to a cabinet near his workbench. It was time that he rolled up his sleeves and started working on the more unpleasant side of this deal. Opening the cabinet door, he pulled out a fireproof box, securely sealed with a biometric access and combination lock. He went through the routine of opening the locks, then lifted the lid to uncover a vial and a single slip of paper, carefully protected in a molded foam setting.

He'd spent many nights debating long and hard over the best way to use this serum, and before today, had been thinking he would just hold it for ransom and then destroy it after payment. Now though, it could be the key to getting him out of Hell. Obviously he should do some other things to make sure everything was well covered, but this was going to be the thing that would get him into Heaven's books. The question was, how he was going to deliver it?

He could go the direct approach and just walk in and hand it over, but having an act like this associated with him would completely destroy the reputation he'd worked so hard to build. But there was also the anonymous approach. He'd heard people say that it was more selfless to not take credit for your acts of charity, and while it sounded completely preposterous to Negaduck, if it saved his reputation…

Negaduck shut the case. That's what he would do. He was a professional thief after all, and the security there was so pathetic that he could get in and out of that building blindfolded and handcuffed to an elephant without being detected. Plus, not taking credit would be another point in his favor. The mallard glanced at his watch. 2:46 am. No better time than the present.

Negaduck straightened his hat, and after making sure that he had his usual arsenal on his person (being good didn't mean he couldn't carry around the means to _protect_ himself), scooped up the case and headed out the door. He'd sneak into the hospital, drop the case off, and sneak back out, and no one would ever be the wiser.

* * *

"And we hereby honor Negaduck for his loving and charitable donation of this serum, an act done from the goodness of his heart..."

Negaduck fought back a growl, struggling to still the urge to reach for his shotgun and blast the face off the person who would dare associate his name with such words. It had seemed so easy in theory, just drop the solution off at the empty desk with a note and leave. But no_,_ every single employee in the _building _had to walk into the room and catch him putting it there, and now he was stuck here, listening to some puffed up city official spout off meaningless platitudes and empty praise in some trite attempt to "honor" him. His reputation was sure to be shot to shreds by now with all the things being said.

And on top of that, he was running low on time. It was already 5:55 pm, and while things should just be starting to get into motion, there was only two hours left before his deadline, and he was stuck here instead of keeping an eye on things like he should be. Under normal circumstances, the fat walrus shooting his mouth off at the podium would have been dead before he'd finished the first syllable of the word "loving". But unfortunately, these were not normal circumstances. With a great amount of self-restraint, Negaduck squashed the urge to show the crowd just how "good" his heart was, and turned his mind back to the bloated windbag on the stage.

"…who, though misunderstood by many, sought to prove himself an honorable citizen and scoured the world for this formula, sacrificing his own time, wants and needs to save the unfortunate ones among us who have no other hope…"

Negaduck hid a smirk. Oh yeah, he'd sacrificed his time and wants. He'd taken three hours from his busy life to persuade the sap who created the stuff to tell him where it was, when he'd dearly wanted to be out roasting the feathers off of his nemesis Darkwing. Yes, wonderful, sacrificial him.

"…and prove once and for all that he does, in fact, care for the well-being of humanity!" The crowd erupted into applause, and Negaduck cringed as the walrus waddled over to him, a certificate of appreciation extended in a flabby hand. "We knew you had it in you, Negaduck," the mayor said, handing him the rolled up paper.

"Yeah, thanks," Negaduck grumbled, reluctantly offering the expectant official his hand to shake. To his complete shock and utter horror though, instead of just shaking his hand, the walrus pulled him into gigantic hug, squeezing the mallard hard enough to pull him up off his feet and expel all the air from his lungs. _Okay,_ Negaduck thought darkly, his self-control lapsing in the face of this newest humiliation. _That's it!_

The mayor was saved from sudden, painful, and debilitating injury to his person though by the timely arrival of St. Canard's costumed clown. "Taking advantage of the masses again, eh Negaduck?" the familiar voice called out from behind him.

Negaduck shook himself free of the walrus's grasp, and turned around to face the accusing glare of his archnemesis, Darkwing Duck. "Ah, there you are," he said, turning a smile on his double. "I was beginning to think that you really _do_ live under a rock."

Darkwing rolled his eyes behind the barrel of his gas gun. "Cut the balloon juice, Negaduck! You're going back to prison!"

"Prison!" the mayor exclaimed, shouldering his way past Negaduck. His unwanted intrusion earned a glare from both mallards, but he continued on, completely oblivious. "This duck just gave the hospital the cure for cancer, and you want to send him to _prison?_"

"Cure for cancer my eye!" Darkwing shot back. "That stuff's poison! I'd stake my reputation on it!"

"For your information-"the walrus began indignantly, but was interrupted by Negaduck shoving his way back to the front. He could never abide letting someone else fight his fights.

"Well you'd _lose _your reputation, not that you have much of one to begin with," he said. The villain took a few steps closer to his double, lowering his voice. "So maybe you should focus on spending your time more important things than harassing me." The feeling of trying to make Darkwing squirm came on Negaduck in a strong rush of déjà vu. He viciously shoved aside the feeling and the resulting memories that followed as his double responded.

"And what could be more important than ridding the city of the lowlifes trying to take advantage of it?" Darkwing demanded, his own voice lowering as he closed the remaining distance between them so that they now almost stood beak to beak.

"For example, do you know where your daughter is?" Negaduck asked, his attitude now cool and impeccably collected.

Darkwing's eyes narrowed at the mention of Gosalyn, and Negaduck could sense him searching for some sign that he was bluffing. His face darkened though as, for once, he was able to discern the truth. "What have you done with her?" he asked, his expression hardening and his voice low and dangerous.

"Oh I haven't done anything," Negaduck replied calmly, taking a step back. "Haven't you heard? I've reformed."

"_What have you done with her?" _the vigilante repeated, grabbing Negaduck up by the lapels of his jacket. The villain was momentarily taken aback by the fierce anger that radiated from his double. It was almost like he was looking at himself in Darkwing's costume, and hearing his own voice coming from Darkwing's mouth. But the surprise quickly melted into satisfaction. So this was going to work after all…

"You never should have allowed her to join you in your little ventures," Negaduck answered, his voice even despite the tightening grip on his jacket. "Sooner or later, she was going to get involved_, _and make her own enemies."

Darkwing's eyes widened as he realized Negaduck's meaning, the anger being replaced by something much sweeter to Negaduck's tastes: fear. Without another word the mallard released Negaduck and took off through the bewildered crowd, moving much faster than the villain would have given him credit for. Negaduck lost sight of him in the masses of people, but a moment later, the roar of an engine signaled the vigilante's departure.

The mallard chuckled to himself as he stepped down off the stage and began to follow the hero. Everything was going just as planned.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: This is it, final chapter! I wasn't entirely satisfied with the way this one came out, so it's entirely possible I may go back later and do a little revising, but it's definitely pretty close to what I'd wanted and I really just wanted to get it up. Thanks to those of you who have read this far in my story, and a big thanks to all of you who've left reviews! You guys are one of the biggest reasons I'm able to push through those dry spells I seem to be be getting more and more frequently. So thank you, thank you! Oh, and in case I was a little too vague or its been too long since you've seen the show, the episodes referenced in this chapter are "A Revolution in Home Appliances" and "Time and Punishment".  
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****Disclaimer:** I do not own Darkwing Duck, Negaduck, Gosalyn, Megavolt, Quackerjack, the city of St. Canard**, **or any other associated settings or characters from the cartoon series "Darkwing Duck". All are used without permission for non-profit, entertainment purposes only. The storyline for "To Gain the World" and the dialogue within are my original works.**  
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**Chapter Five**

About a week before Negaduck's dog food scheme, the papers had been full of stories about how Megavolt tried to bring the city's appliances to life with the assistance of a live toaster, refrigerator, guitar, and hair dryer, and about how the plot had climaxed in a showdown between Darkwing Duck and said villains at the power plant. The story had dominated the headlines for a day or so, and then was bumped back to a two line mention on page eight before disappearing altogether.

Negaduck though, whose fingers never left the pulse of the criminal underworld, had heard rumors of something more, and had gotten a hold of the security footage. What he saw had been enlightening, and inspiring. He'd originally tucked the information away for possible use in the future, but now in his current situation, it was something that would suit his needs perfectly.

The mallard had vaguely recalled a conversation with Quackerjack and Megavolt after he'd grudgingly busted them out of jail for some failed stunt involving a trip to the future. In order to pacify his wrath before he went for his chainsaw, they had hurriedly tried to explain why they'd _fainted_ on seeing Darkwing (he still couldn't believe that!), and they'd told him how Darkwing had turned into some sort of psychotic dictator, all because Gosalyn had disappeared from his life. While the significance of that experience had eluded those simpleton saps, they had unwittingly handed Negaduck a golden opportunity. If anything could get his nemesis to fall in his limited time span, that red-headed duckling would be the key. And as Negaduck watched the scene unfolding before him, his confidence in that conclusion grew in strength.

Inside the building, Gosalyn Mallard sat tied to an old chair, watching nervously as an agitated Megavolt paced in front of her. Darkwing had yet to arrive. If he hadn't gotten lost on the way, he was probably still trying to find where Megavolt was, though if he took much longer Negaduck was going to have to send him an engraved invitation. Honestly, the dock on the suburban side of Audubon Bay wasn't _that_ hard to find, even for a puffed up airhead like Darkwing. A crumpled newspaper was clutched in Megavolt's hand as he paced, and if he strained his ears, Negaduck could just make out the words Megavolt was muttering to himself.

"…the power lines? Nah, too easy to spot. The electronics store? Nah, too many innocent bystanders. I wouldn't want a poor stereo or television to get hurt. Ooo, I could do the power plant. That has some artistic justice to it. No, that's not it," the rat said, pausing in his pacing to search out the right word. "Creative justice? No... Romantic justice? No… Antiseptic justice?"

Negaduck realized he was unconsciously grinding his teeth as he irritably watched the rodent. Couldn't that idiot focus for more than five minutes without getting distracted by some tangent? If it weren't for the rat's unusual electrical abilities and occasional moments of technological brilliance, Negaduck probably would have knocked off the pathetic knob a long time ago just for being such an annoying, empty-headed dolt.

"Neurotic justice?" Megavolt continued on, oblivious to the murderous thoughts being entertained by his boss a mere ten feet away. "No…"

Gosalyn spoke up from her chair. "Poetic justice?" she offered helpfully.

"That's it!" Megavolt exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Poetic justice!"

Negaduck let out sigh, relieved that that little mental detour was over with. Time was of the essence, and he was beginning to think he was going to have do something himself to get the knob's brain through whatever glitch it was stuck in. Now though maybe the dolt could actually get down to business.

"But wait," Megavolt said, pausing again as a look of confusion spread on his face, "do I want poetic justice?"

Negaduck did a facepalm. _You can't kill him. You can't kill him, _he told himself as he struggled to contain his mounting exasperation.

Gosalyn though, emboldened by Megavolt's positive response to her earlier words, saved the mallard the trouble of doing something drastic by speaking up. "No no, you wanted lawful justice," she said, trying to appear casual. "You know, the kind where you don't break the law by hurting an innocent girl?"

Her idea backfired. "Innocent?" Megavolt spat, his face darkening as his mind finally latched back onto the desire for revenge burning inside him. He waved the crumpled newspaper under her beak. "_Innocent?_ It was _you_ who destroyed my appliance friends! _You _who turned them against me! And _you_ who ruined my plans! You call that _innocent? _Boy, am I glad you got on the wrong bus today, or else you might have gotten away with this heinousness, but now, you get to receive the full punishment for your inhuman acts!"

Negaduck nodded approvingly as the girl shrank back in her chair, away from the angry, menacing glare in front of her and the angry sparks unconsciously forming at her captor's fingertips. _Finally._ Now all he needed was for Darkwing to show up.

As if on cue, a blue cloud suddenly billowed into existence ten feet away from the pair. "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the guard dog you didn't know was there! I am Darkwing Duck!" The cloud dissipated to reveal the form of Darkwing Duck, his body poised for action and his gas gun aimed directly at Megavolt. Negaduck couldn't help but shake his head. Even with Gosalyn in danger, he _had_ to do his tagline. "Let her go, Megavolt," Darkwing said, his voice tense.

"Why should I?" Megavolt asked, beginning to sound a little desperate. Even desperate though, he had to presence of mind to position himself so Gosalyn was between him and the crime fighter. "It was her fault! It's only fair I get revenge for such shocking acts!" The rat let an arch of electricity dance between his fingers, so close to Gosalyn's face that it nearly singed her feathers.

"Megavolt…" Darkwing warned, a dangerous edge in his tone. Negaduck could see his double's finger tighten ever so slightly on the gas gun's trigger.

"Careful," Megavolt said, quickly grabbing something from his utility belt. "You wouldn't want your precious city to get hurt, would you? If I press let go of this button," he said, holding up a small box, a single button depressed by his finger, "the whole city will explode."

"You're bluffing," Darkwing replied confidently. "That's Negaduck's turf, not yours."

"Who do you think had me wire the city?" Megavolt sneered. "He was going to use it for some scheme of his, but now I have a better way to use it."

Negaduck's eyes narrowed. _If I hadn't planned it this way, that rat would be dog chow for disobeying me like that,_ he thought, angered at Megavolt's gall.

"So I guess you have a choice, Dorkwing," Megavolt continued, "watch your little friend die, or sacrifice the entire city to save her?"

There it was, the ultimatum, laid out almost as perfectly as Negaduck could have hoped for. Negaduck watched with joyful anticipation as his double waged an internal battle, obviously torn between his saving his daughter and saving his city. Neglect his duty as a father, or neglect his duty as a hero by allowing thousands to die. It was the choice most people hoped never to face even in their nightmares, and yet here it was being thrust on him, very real, and very urgent. Negaduck couldn't help but grin when he remembered his part (albeit very small and indirect) in putting his nemesis in this position.

Gosalyn's eyes were locked fearfully on her dad, the battle that was tearing Darkwing apart reflecting clearly in her face. He saw the pair lock eyes, and watched as some sort of understanding passed between the two. Negaduck almost thought he could see an apology in Darkwing's face. If he hadn't been so wrapped up in the suspense that permeated the situation, Negaduck would have gagged at the tenderness of the moment.

Megavolt though, was not going to be kept waiting. "I guess it's your little friend then," he said cheerfully, turning towards the duckling as balls of blue electricity gathered around his hands. He took a step back and raised his arms to fire the energy at the wide-eyed girl.

"NO!" Darkwing cried, simultaneously firing his gas gun and leaping at the rodent. Whatever plan Negaduck had seen forming in his double's mind was gone now in the panic that overtook him at seeing his daughter about to be killed. The two hit the ground in a jumble of arms and legs, but were quickly hidden from view by the gas cloud that had been fired from Darkwing's weapon. For a moment, all that was visible of the scuffle was a stray limb or two as it was pulled back to deliver a blow, but then, a single object came flying out of the cloud and clattered onto the cement floor.

For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as everyone realized what had just happened. Then a huge explosion rocked the building, throwing Negaduck and the three inside to the ground as a deafening roar filled their ears. The windows blew out as the shockwave hit the building, shards of glass flying everywhere as the lights flickered out and the walls moaned in protest. Their world rumbled and shook for what seemed to be an eternity before beginning to die down, only to be replaced by the sharp clattering of debris raining down on the tin roof, echoing through the building like thunder. As soon as the ground was steady again, Negaduck climbed back to his feet and looked toward the city. And then he laughed, a laugh of pure, unbridled glee.

Downtown St. Canard was gone. Completely obliterated. Billows of thick black smoke poured from all that remained of the burning ruin, and huge tongues of fire reached up toward the sky where Canard's skyscrapers used to be, casting a fiery orange glow on the impenetrable backdrop of smoke. Screams could be distantly heard from across the bay, screams of pain, screams for help, and screams of fear.

_He did it. _ _I can't believe he actually did it!_ Negaduck thought, continuing to stare at the devastation in exhilarated awe. This was all so much better than he had ever hoped! Negaduck himself had only dreamed of creating this volume of pure destruction, and now his double, who had proclaimed himself the protector of the city, had just blown it to smithereens, and all to save a single girl. Darkwing was damned now for sure!

Remembering the vigilante, Negaduck turned back and had to grin when he saw the mallard's expression. The complete desolation and misery written across his face was like the fulfillment of Negaduck's life work. His arms were wrapped around Gosalyn standing at his side, who looked the picture of guilt as she stood awed at the ruins. Even Megavolt looked to be shocked at the sheer magnitude of what had just happened. It was absolutely beautiful!

Just then a harsh, disembodied voice whispered in his ear. "Time's up." Suddenly his surroundings began to fade away, disappearing into the heavy black shroud that Negaduck knew all too well. "No, no, NO!" Negaduck cried in disbelieving anger. He couldn't have just got everything he wanted so perfectly only to have it taken before he could savor it, _again! _But the ruined city, the building, and even Darkwing continued to unmercilessly melt away, until once again Negaduck was enveloped in that suffocating darkness.

All disorientation of that transition vanished into pure rage though when those crimson eyes appeared again. It was just blowing off all the hard work he'd done? _Nobody_ did that to Negaduck and got away with it! Only the fact that he was dealing with a demon, whose abilities in the spiritual realm undoubtedly surpassed his own, kept him from losing his temper.. "You'd better have one heck of a reason for bringing me back here and _not_ Darkwing!" Negaduck growled, his seemingly level tone belied by barely contained anger.

"Do I need one?" the spirit replied.

"I just cured cancer and saved millions, no, billions of lives! And what did Darkwing do? He just caused an entire city to explode, and all to save one little girl! If _anyone_ deserves to be here, it's him! And if anyone _doesn't_ deserve to be here, it's me!"

To Negaduck's infuriation, the spirit didn't reply, but continued to stare at him as if waiting for him to say more. "We had a deal!" Negaduck cried, unnerved by the silence.

"And you believed me?" the demon replied, his words laced with amusement.

Negaduck felt gut-kicked. All of his anger deflated as the horrific implications of that sentence washed over him like a bucket of cold water. _So the whole thing, all the work and aggravation, these entire past two days were just a farce? Some great cosmic joke?  
_

"You of all people should know to never make a deal with the devil," the demon continued with a touch of mirth. "But even if I'd meant it, did you honestly think you could _earn_ your way to Heaven? Not even all your double's good deeds over his years of crime-fighting would be enough to get him out of here, much less your pathetic half-attempts."

Negaduck's head snapped up at that. "What would you have me do?" he snarled, his feelings of gullibility beginning to transform into anger towards the one who tricked him. "Kiss up to some self-righteous sap of a demon and try to bribe my way in?"

The crimson eyes hardened at that. "I already told you what had to be done," the now icy voice answered. "Your double made a contract with Another, One who claims to love him and forgives his many mistakes. Perhaps if you'd gotten over your massive ego and tried to use those brains you claim you have, then you'd have realized just how puny and useless you are by yourself, and just how much help you needed. I mean, did you really think that orchestrating everything behind the scenes, the tip to the newspaper, making sure Elmo got a paper, and messing with the bus signs, instead of being on the front lines would leave you guiltless? You truly are delusional!"

Negaduck lunged at the shadow. He had no clue if he could even touch a spirit, much less give it a piece of his mind, but all his anger, all his rage at being played for a fool was coursing mightily through his veins, and he'd be darned if he was going to take this kind of abuse and not do something about it!

With his fingers only inches from the soulless eyes though, he was hit with a wave of pain so hard that it actually knocked him back in the air. He hit the ground as the fiery torment he'd hoped never to feel again overwhelmed him, wracking his body a thousand times more intensely than before. His body spasmed uncontrollably under the invisible flames, forcing tears from his eyes and making him grind his teeth together even as he fought to hold in the screams that threatened to escape his throat. Just as before though, despite the overwhelming pain, Negaduck's mind was terribly clear, clear enough for him to recognize the smug satisfaction in the demon eyes staring down at him.

_It won't even allow me the dignity of one final say? _Negaduck thought loathingly, his mind wishing desperately to throw a string of insults at the spirit but his beak refusing to obey.

The demon chuckled, as if in response to his thought.

"Welcome to Hell, Negaduck."

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John 3:16


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